赤砂 (Red Sand)
by creamblaise
Summary: "One thousand years of death." Kou shouted in the midst of battle. An absolutely livid Gaara pushed to the brink of madness and discomfort at the Chuunin Exams (and for years to come.) Not Lee, but Kou of the Hidden Leaf.
1. 境界の彼方 (Beyond the Boundary)

Sharp pupils surveyed the area, somewhere between indifference and madness. Before the broadcasting machine even publicized the results, Gaara left. Traces of dust scattered as he stood before the referee, expectant of his opponent.

A flickering, electronic screen projected the results from above, selecting the possible combinations for battle; the preliminary test stretched their patience – such a sizable group juniors – an unusual circumstance which indicated an entire generation of promising soldiers.

"Gaara (of the Sand) versus Kou (of the Leaf.)"

Scarlet locks graze her forehead, masking the genin's eyes; rawboned legs awkwardly revealed themselves – a muddy pair of worn capris and an oversized tee to match the unsightly presentation. The malnourished rookie walked towards _him_.

Everyone's attention zeroed in on the underequipped ninja. Tattered clothes and beat-up sandals weighed the sickly figure down. She dragged her feet across the pavement.

"Kou, such an unfortunate child. War orphans." Sarutobi, an elderly man, commented. Fixed on the strange, imperfect pairing, he wordlessly cautioned the surrounding jonin to be prepared.

Worry tainted the atmosphere. A terrible, sickening sensation settled within the pit of the judge's stomach. Tired, stressed eyes glanced over at Kou; Hayate sent a silent prayer.

"I pity the bony red hair. Sad that this is what the Leaf has to offer: pathetic shinobi in their cowardly wake." Temari smirked, though faltered just slightly. A stern look followed the confident reactions. 'She should forfeit quickly before blood is spilled. Unlike most of these novices who shed sympathy, including Kankuro and I, that ill-tempered boy…brute won't bat a single eye.'

Resting her chin upon the metal railing, Sakura grimaced. 'No shuriken or kunai in sight. Kou only possesses _somewhat_ proper footwear with an added forehead protector. The rest of her clothes are…questionable.' Another dry hack, loud and uncomfortable, filled the empty silence.

'Please be safe. Your existence…was unknown to all of Konoha. Stand your ground and live, Kou.' Hinata paled as her face twisted into concern and heavy guilt.

Was this person ever alive?

Ino, a recovering Yamanaka, tried to draw some conclusions about the freaky sand nin. Something was...off about him. 'He gives me the creeps. Those eyes...'

The furry canine slipped into his owner's jacket, shaking with such intensity at the encircling waves of chakara. A stronger, fearful turning overcame Akamaru – more concentrated whimpers pierced the air than Team Eight's previous encounter with Gaara in the Forbidden Forest.

'Whoever this kid's teacher is, they don't seem to be present. Geez, when have the standards for jonin been so..._low?' _He folded the corner page of his Icha Icha Paradise book, wary of the situation. Kakashi sighed, drifting in and out of desire. 'I guess the drama can wait.'

"You may begin!" A drowsy shout. The supervisor sandwiched himself in between the one-sided match, slicing an arm downward to signify its unfolding.

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><p><em>I live off reviews like Naruto lives off ramen; thank for reading the first chapter of the rewritten Chuunin Exams Arc! This story entails the friendship and trials of Gaara and Kou. Since Red Sand is just the beginning, I would like to know if it catches anyone's interest. In a way, I'm repeating the history of Naruto differently. Ah, um, the single <em>_apostrophes ('...') outline the character's thoughts, while quotes ("...") are dialogue - just to clear up some things._


	2. 四千年 (Four Thousand Years)

The gourd's cap explodes, sand gushing out as it slithers around Gaara, ready to strike. He stood comfortably in the same position, not swaying a single centimeter. Muttering under his breath, "I'm sorry _mother_. You'll have to make do with this foul blood. It should momentarily suffice…" His arm jolts right up, twisting in a grotesquely fashion before attacking; large quantities of destructive weaponry stir at the sand genin's beckoning.

Condensed waves of dust particles flow in a fluid motion towards Kou at breakneck speeds. She barely made an attempt to evade his murderous clutches, collapsing under the heavy mass. A raw cough follows, blood and dirt mixing together like paint on the ashy canvas. Raspy breaths, desperately clinging to life, reach Gaara's acute ears.

A lovely tune that proved his monstrous existence. So sweet.

Bruised and battered, Kou's eyes remained locked away underneath the overgrown fringe. Her expanding mouth heaves, constantly gasping for air. Short and uneven attempts to salvage some consciousness left her immobilized. Skin so thin and papery one could take note of the angular bones that joined Kou's unstable body.

'Ugh. She's even worse at dodging than Naruto.' Shikamaru's eyes lazily pursued the fight.

A loud outburst sabotages the cold and stressful mood. "I DON'T KNOW YOUR NAME BUT A NINJA OF KONOHA CAN'T LOSE, SO KICK THAT BRAT'S BUTT!" Naruto bellowed, earning some acknowledgment from quite a few.

Bushy Brows jumped in and made a couple additions to the fiery uproar – going on about the concept of youth and blossoms.

Konoha Eleven couldn't help but respond good-naturedly. Sakura reprimanded her obnoxious teammate for his short-attention span (as the names were already televised in plain sight.)

'Funny, considering he's a brat, too.' An amused Kakashi thought.

Everyone returns to the engagement with more colourful outlooks, refusing to allow despair crush their sprits. 'That boy possesses a quality that foreshadows greatness. Hmph. Uzumaki Naruto, the Fourth's last parting gift.' Hiruzen grins, turning towards Kou and Gaara.

Blood seeps between the tile cracks, dying its folds in crusty red. The feeble kid shakes uncontrollably, braving herself for injury. She wearily tilts her head just ever so slightly. Enough to allow the straight inflamed threading of hair to fall across and divulge one eye. A single, faded-lavender orb inscribed with ringlets met Gaara's icy set.

The visual contact lasted four nanoseconds.

It was brief.

Only a handful of blessed (or cursed – depending) individuals received a glimpse of the peculiar lens.

Though seriously wounded, Kou's frail frame stood upright. Little tremors rang throughout the genin's entire body. The thick frontal strands shadowed her field of vision once again and along with it, the unexpected optics display hastily dispersed.

"_Mother_…is watching me." Salivating at the crimson fluid, Gaara sent a vicious spate her way. The light wash of sift would overtake, bind, and crush Kou. The sand does not discriminate.

カランカラン…karan karan

He abruptly kneels to the ground, hands ruthlessly clinging to his scalp. Pulsated white corneas widen; the faint chiming of four thousand bells echoed throughout, lodge in the back of Gaara's head.

And then it happened.

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><p><em>Hmm...I hope to extend the length of the chapters to be much longer. But since (I hope) the content is relatively straightforward at the beginning, it will be less lengthy (going into descriptions about every single character and background detail is kind of a drag.) I'll probably make more changes in the future! These first few chapters are kind of like 'prototypes' to see how it goes. Also, Happy New Year~ I forgot to mention this in the previous chapter.<br>_


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